Inner demons
by Polishing-Stars
Summary: Well, there's not much to tell yet. I'm posting the first chapter to see what kind of response I get. Please tell me what you think


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Disclaimer:

Must I? ….If you insist. I do not own Inuyasha or anybody/thing related to him. I do however own the pictures I drew of the cast (excluding Kikyo) and the awesome wall scroll mom bought me for Christmas 

-^_^- 

I'm back!!!!!! And hopefully better at writing. I've been practicing -^_^-

Anyway, I've started this fic, and I'm posting the first chapter to see if it's worth spending time on. Ok, I would put a summary here, but that gives away a lot of stuff that I don't want you to know yet.

Pairings will be Inu/kag (duh) Sess/older Rin (Only because I'm too lazy to make up new characters. You'll see what I mean) maybe San/Mir (I'm not sure how big of a role they're going to play in this) And, last and definitely least, Kikyo/death. (Jk. I don't know if I'm even going to put her in this)

Ok. If you would please read it and tell me if I should keep it up ^__^ 

Oh yeah. Almost forgot… ( ' ')----------------Kirby loves you!! -^_^-

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Inner Demons : Chapter I

(I'm trying to decide between 'Inner Demons' or 'A class of our own'. What do you think?)

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A man, no, a Demon. A crescent moon was etched on his forehead, as well as two dark red stripes on either side of his face. Long, silver hair cascaded down his back and over his shoulders. Dressed in fine silk, he cradled a sleeping baby girl in his arms, his amber eyes full of warmth; an emotion very few were blessed with seeing. He stood in the middle of a large room, the child's toys littering the floor. A beautifully carved oak crib stood next to him. 

He hummed softly to her, trailing a clawed finger down her cheek lovingly. She stirred, but didn't wake. A human woman, dressed equally as fine, entered the room, carrying several blankets. Waist-length brown hair fell gracefully across her shoulders as she turned dark brown eyes on the pair. She smiled and walked over to them. She placed a hand on the demon's shoulder, setting the blankets down in the crib. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. 

"Come on, Sesshoumaru. Time to let her sleep now." The woman said warmly. The man nodded, absently, and she frowned. 

"What is it love?" She asked.

Sesshoumaru sighed.

"It's just…it's just that I'm worried she won't be accepted." He looked down at the baby. "I will always love her, no matter what she is, but I'm afraid others will not be as understanding. Rin, we were fully aware of the consequences when we decided to have this child. We knew how hard it would make her life…and ours. And yet, we still did it."

"And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way." Rin said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"…I wouldn't either. But still…I fear for her safety." 

"Sesshoumaru, as long as she has us, she will be perfectly fine." She squeezed his shoulder gently. 

"Still…I would feel better if she had some other means of protection. You and I won't be around forever, you know."

"Sesshoumaru, you are the Lord of the Western lands. Not many would even dare to talk badly of her, much less inflict bodily harm." He still didn't look convinced. 

"If it will make you feel better, I will find a way." She laid her head on her mate's shoulder. They stood like that for several minutes, until Rin broke the silence.

"I'm going to go ahead and get in bed. Why don't you bundle her up and come with me?"

"…Alright. You go on. I'll be in in a minute."

"Ok." She placed a kiss on his cheek, as well as one on the little girl's forehead, and left the room. 

Sesshoumaru stood there for a few more moments, before reaching for the extra blankets his wife had brought. He bundled the baby up snugly, placed a kiss on her forehead, and set her gently in the crib. 

"Sleep well." He stood and started toward the door, but stopped when a small whimper came from the crib. He sighed, went back, and picked the baby up again. She looked at him with her enormous brown eyes, flecks of amber just barely visible in them. She rubbed her eye with her tiny fist and blinked up at him. 

"Aww…I can't leave you in here by yourself. You wanna come sleep in mommy and daddy's bed?"

She smiled and tugged on the strands of his hair that had fallen over his shoulder. 

"Ok. Come on, Kagome." He grinned and walked towards the door, Kagome still playing with his hair, shutting the door behind him. 

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After learning of a powerful jewel that was known as the Shikon no Tama, Sesshoumaru had set out to find it, thinking it to be the perfect protection that he so desperately wanted for his daughter. He traveled for months, and endured many battles, and finally made his way home, the jewel in hand. At last, he could finally relax, knowing that his child - the future ruler of the western lands- would be safe. Unfortunately…that was not the case. 

Word had spread that the demon lord possessed the jewel, and countless attempts were made to steal it from him. Finally, the demons united against Sesshoumaru, agreeing to share power once they had the jewel; each of them secretly intending to break their promise. 

The family castle was under siege. Smoke clouded the air and sounds of battle could be heard from every direction.

Sesshoumaru ran down a long corridor. He carried a suspiciously human-looking Kagome in one arm, the other around his wife. He stopped at what appeared to be a dead end. Placing a long, clawed hand on the oil lamp, he pulled it down. The wall swung back, revealing a long flight of stairs, leading down into darkness. He handed Kagome over to Rin. 

"Rin, you know what to do. Go down here and out the back. Go find Inutaisho." He glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was there. "You and Kagome will be safe with him and his mate. I'll come for you as soon as I can. Kagome should be able to protect the both of you until you find them. Go now!" He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Rin grabbed his sleeve.

"What is it?"

"I…I love you Sesshoumaru."

"I love you too….But this isn't goodbye! I will come back for you." He kissed her softly. "I promise." 

He kissed Kagome's forehead. "You too. Protect your mother. Farewell."

Sesshoumaru took off down the corridor, long silver hair billowing behind him. A tear slid down Rin's cheek. She turned, stepping onto the first stair. She pulled a lever just inside the door, and the stairs were flooded with light from the flames that had burst up inside the lamps that lined the wall. She grabbed the edge of the wall and pulled it closed.

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A woman ran furiously through the forest, Raven hair billowing behind her; a quiver of arrows was slung over her shoulder and a bow clutched tightly in her left hand. Her brown eyes that held the slightest trace of amber, were filled with pain. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire, her clothes were charred and torn, and the jagged rocks cut into her bare feet, but she pushed on, knowing that, if she stopped, it would be the end of her life. Her breath came in ragged gasps and her throat was raw from inhaled smoke. 

"What's the matter Kagome? Don't you want to play?" A deep, male voice sounded from behind her. "Why are you running? I won't hurt you…much." Maniacal laughter echoed through the dense forest. 

She reached over her shoulder and pulled an arrow from the quiver. Pausing only a moment to notch it, she spun around and shot it in the direction of voice, then resumed running. 

"You call that an attack?" He taunted.

Kagome could see a light up ahead -- a break in the trees. 

'_Just a little further…' _She thought. '_I'll be out in the open, but so will he. At least then, I might have a fighting chance…' _

"You can't keep up that pace for long, Kagome! Eventually you'll collapse, and then…"

Kagome didn't hear what would happen 'then', for at that moment, she tripped on a protruding tree root, sending her sprawling head over heels into the clearing. 

Humorless laughter drifted from the edge of the forest.   
"Oh dear, it seems you've fallen. What a shame…your clumsiness has cost you your life." Her pursuer stepped out of the shadow of the trees. He was cloaked in a white Baboon pelt; the only visible features were his mouth, and his black eyes that gleamed maliciously. 

Kagome weakly pushed herself into a standing position, her bangs shading her eyes.

"You're wrong, Naraku." She spat his name as if were poison. "It has cost you yours." She lifted her head, her eyes gleaming. 

"What are you…" Naraku's eyes narrowed. In one swift motion, Kagome grasped an arrow and fitted it onto her bow. She pulled the cord back and took aim. 

"You…you set a trap. You got me out in the open so you could get a clear shot…" A look of amusement crossed Naraku's face and he smiled. A smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"Why are you smiling?" Kagome demanded. 

"You're very clever. It's a shame you have to die…"  
"Die?"   
"Of course. The first time you shot me, you barely broke the skin," -it was then Kagome noticed the small tear in his hood near his cheek from which blood trickled- "But that was pure luck. It's only a scratch. You don't think this next arrow will fell me, do you? You would've been better off in the forest. At least there, the trees gave you some kind of cover. But here, you're in clear view. True, you can see me, but I can see you as well. You've lost the element of surprise."  
'_He's right…Damn-it I should of thought of that! What do I do…?' _Kagome looked around for the best escape route. 

"What are you going to do now? You run, you go out like a coward. You fight, and at least it can be said you died with honor. But I assure you, whichever you choose, you will die."  
"You still think that I'm going to be the one to die? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're wrong. I'm the one with the arrow. …True, it might not kill you…but it can do a hell of a lot of damage!" Kagome released the arrow and it spiraled toward him at a ridiculously fast speed. It seemed to glow ominously as it neared him. All Naraku could do was stare as the arrow embedded itself in his right shoulder. He bit back a cry as a searing pain shot down the whole right side of body. 

'…_What is this?' _Naraku wondered. '_Why do I feel this pain…? Is it…poison?'_

"What did you do to that arrow wench?" He tossed his head up to stare at Kagome. But…she was gone. 

After shooting the arrow, Kagome turned on her heel and ran. 

She plowed through the trees with renewed strength. Knowing that the arrow actually pierced him gave her hope. Maybe the poison would slow him down long enough for her to get away. 

Kagome came from a family of demon-slayers, and was known as one of the best. The slayers had settled down in a small village nestled in the mountains. 

The whole reason she was running in the first place, was because Naraku had attacked her village, while the slayers had conveniently been called away to exterminate a nearby town. 

'_Probably Naraku's doing as well…'_ Kagome thought bitterly. Just that thought filled her with hatred, and she almost turned back to finish him off. She would have been with the other slayers, but she had stayed in the village to help Kaede, the town's priestess, tend to a sick child. That's when Naraku had struck. Kagome had managed to snag several of the demon-specific poison-tipped arrows before Naraku destroyed the weapons shed. It seemed she was the one he was after, though it wasn't clear why. He had accused her of possessing a jewel of some sort. She had called out to him, and led him away from the village, into the forest. 

Kagome hissed as yet another branch tore at her flesh. She'd never been this deep into the forest before. Here, there was barely three feet between each tree, and the air seemed denser -- almost suffocating-ly so. Up ahead she could hear running water. 

'_Water…? Is there a lake?' _

Behind her, she heard Naraku beginning to catch up, though at a considerably slower pace than before. '_Damn…he caught up faster than I thought he would…' _She pushed herself harder than ever.

Pretty soon, Kagome could once again see a break in the trees.

'_Thank the gods…It's getting hard to breathe…' _

She noted that Naraku had slowed considerably, and she could barely hear his footfalls at all. 

'_I might actually make it!' _

She broke out of the trees, and skidded to a stop. Her eyes widened, whatever bit of hope she had left fading at the sight before her. 

Kagome peered over the edge of the cliff where fifty feet down, freezing water rushed over jagged rocks. A dead-end. There was no where to go, with the exception of over the cliff. A twig snapped behind her, and she whirled around. 

Naraku emerged from the darkness, his right arm hanging limp at his side. The hood of his baboon cloak was thrown back, revealing a pale face and a pair of black, beady eyes. His greasy, waist-length, black hair that seemed to have never heard of gravity, whipped around his face, even though there was no wind. 

He began to advance on her. For each step he took, Kagome took a step back. 

"Once again you've backed yourself into a corner. Only this time, you won't escape alive…"

Kagome felt behind her with her foot, and gasped when she felt several rocks dislodge and tumble into the rapids below. Naraku was now only feet from her. 

"…I'm prepared to strike a deal with you." He offered. "You hand over the jewel, and I might spare your life."

"…This jewel, what makes you think I have it? I honestly don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb with me, human!" He barked. "I know you have it. I can sense it's immense power radiating off you in great waves. Even a human such as yourself would be able to sense something amiss. 

You can't stand there and tell me truthfully that you don't have the jewel in your possession."

"I don't!"

Naraku tried to focus on her, but his vision was starting to blur; courtesy of the poison.

"I'll ask you once more, and then I won't ask again. Where…is…the…jewel?"

"I…don't…have…it."

"Wrong answer. As I said, that was your last chance…With those words you seal your fate!"

Naraku's claws glowed red, and he took one mighty swipe at her…or, at least what he thought was her. He couldn't seem to focus on anything, and his claws, instead of going through her stomach as he intended, only managed to tear her side, causing her to lose her balance.

Kagome's eyes widened as his claws ripped her side. She lost her balance and stumbled backward…over the cliff. 

Her cry of 'No!' was lost to her as the wind roared in her ears, and the water rushed up to meet her. She was only vaguely aware of the stinging sensation in her side, before crashing into the freezing water, instantly knocked unconscious.

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(TBC…)

So, what'd you think? Is it worth spending time on? Let me know!! Updates may take awhile if you do want me to continue, because I still have to type out everything. All I have is the basic idea of what I want to do with it. But…if I have enough motivation reviews, I tend to reviews work harder and reviews can get chapters reviews out more quickly. 

Bye!! -^_^-


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